The Kerala Police’s special investigation team (SIT) on Monday formally arrested Dominic Martin, a 57-year-old former English tutor, who claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bomb blasts carried out at a gathering of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian sect, at a private convention centre near Kochi that killed three and injured over 50 others, a top official said.

Martin, a resident of Thammanam in Kochi, was booked under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 3(A) of the Explosive Substances Act and section 16 (1)(A) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. He is likely to be presented before the principal district and sessions court, Ernakulam on Tuesday.

His arrest came after the state police and central agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned him for several hours and cross-checked the evidence that he submitted at the Armed Reserve (AR) camp of the police in Kalamassery.

Martin surrendered at the Kodakara police station in Thrissur district around 1pm on Sunday, claiming that he was an estranged member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses group and that he was the one who exploded the IED bombs at the convention centre. He had posted a video on his personal Facebook account, taking ownership of the blasts and claiming that he had committed the act as he was enraged by the ‘anti-national and seditious’ teachings of the radical Christian sect.

“Six years ago, I realised that this group was on the wrong track and that its ideas were anti-national. I told them multiple times to rectify their teachings, but they paid no heed to me…They teach children not to accept sweets from their classmates and ask them to desist from singing the national anthem. When they grow up, they ask them not to vote or join military or government service. I could not find a solution to this, so I had to react against this wrong ideology,” Martin was heard saying in the video.

According to the preliminary probe by the police, Martin is suspected to have acted alone in gathering the materials to build the IED bomb as well as planting and detonating them during the prayer meeting of the Christian group. The phone confiscated from him reportedly contained footage of his involvement in the blasts.

As per the statement of his wife Mini, Martin left his rented home in Thammanam in Kochi shortly after 5am on his two-wheeler. According to police, he drove straight to the Zamra convention centre in Kalamassery where he detonated the bombs around 9.30am while being present in the hall itself. Later, he drove down to Kodakara, 30 kilometres away, where he rented a room at a private hotel to record the Facebook Live video.

Justin, manager at the Miracle Residency in Kodakara, told HT, “Dominic Martin came to our hotel around 10.45am on Sunday wanting to book a room. He took a non-AC deluxe room. He was in the room for just 15 minutes. Around 11am, he checked out saying that he had to leave due to an emergency. He paid the full day tariff. We have given all the CCTV visuals to the police.”

The accused later surrendered at the Kodakara station. An officer at the station told HT, “He came in around 1pm. He told us that he was the one who set off the bombs in Kalamassery. At first, we didn’t believe him. But when he remained firm, we informed the higher-ups, and he was shifted at once to the police AR camp in Kalamassery.”

After presenting Martin before court on Tuesday, the investigation team is likely to continue to collect more evidence of his involvement in the blast as well as probe if there are other reasons for his anger toward the Jehovah’s Witnesses community.

Joshua David, national spokesperson of Jehovah’s Witnesses, told reporters on Monday, “We are trying to deal with the situation and cooperate with the authorities here. We are waiting for the due process to be completed by the police.”

Earlier in the day, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited the blast site at the convention centre in Kalamassery and was briefed by the investigative officers. Later, he paid a visit to the Government Medical College Hospital where the bulk of the injured are being treated. He also consoled the families of the three deceased.

He told reporters at the Cochin airport, “As far as the investigation is concerned, there are some things that Martin has admitted. They have come out. If there are any other motives, the police will investigate. There are fingerprints, and ATS experts in the special team are handling the case. The investigation is progressing well.”

He also affirmed that the all-party meeting convened on Monday morning in Thiruvananthapuram resolved to stand united and isolate attempts to denigrate Kerala, its secular traditions, cultural heritage and social uniqueness based on a single incident.

“Peace, brotherhood and harmony are the special features of Kerala. Those values must be protected and if anyone is attacking those values, they must be isolated,” he added.

“This meeting unanimously affirms that efforts to sow the poisonous seeds of distrust and intolerance amidst an era of mutual trust, interdependence, and collective survival will be resisted and defeated using our entire strength. Every member of our society should take the initiative to nip in the bud any attempt to spread speculation, falsehoods, and rumors that promote hatred and, in turn, divide the people and drive them away from one another,” the statement of the resolution said.

The death toll rose to three after a 12-year-old girl, Libina, a resident of Malayattur in Ernakulam district, succumbed to burn injuries sustained during the blast in the early hours of Monday.

At least four others, including the mother and brother of the 12-year-old, are in critical condition, said health officials. The two other deceased were identified as Leona (55) and Kumari (53).